Stopper plunger



NOV 5, 1963 J. BAILEY 3,109,178

. STOPPER PLUNGER Filed Aug. 8, 1961 Bim United tates Patent O 3,109,178 STPPER PLUNGER Jesse Bailey, 844 Carberry, Niles, Mich. Filed Aug. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 130,059 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-256) This invention relates generally to plumbing maintenance tools, and more specically to plungers for reopening of stopped drainage lines.

One object of the invention is to provide a stopper plunger based on the principle of the ordinary hand plunger, but which is designed to enter into the clogged line for more eicient application for the purpose of dislodging the debris or other waste clogging the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper plunger which is water powered and which 'does not require the manual operation as is needed with the conventional hand plunger.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper plunger which is of extremely elementary design and which the average householder may readily use with successful results without resorting to the need for engaging a professional plumber to clear the line.

Itis another object of the invention to provide a stopper plunger bearing the above objects in mind w-hich is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is i-nexpensive to manufacture and eiicient in operation.

iFor other objects |and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

`FIGURE 1 is a top perspective View of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view through the lines 2 2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stopper attached to a hose; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side View of a household sink showing the invention in operative use therein.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral represents a lstopper plunger according to the present invention wherein the device has a bottle-like configuration and Ihaving a bottom wall 11 with a circular periphery and an upwardly flaring side wall 12, having the general configuration of an inverted frustrum of a cone, Surmounting this is a constricted cylindrical neck portion 13 having a thread 14 on its outer face. An opening 15V is provided at the top thereof which connects with the interior compartment 15 within the stopper plunger. This device is made of soft lexible rubber or any equivalent material.

It is to be noted that the bottom wall is of thin cross section, so that the bottom will flex easily. The lower part of the side wall is `also thin in cross section whereas the upper part is of gradually enlarned thickness, particularly near the base of the neck portion.

In use, the stopper plunger is attached to end 17 of an ordinary garden hose 18 which is threadedly engaged therewith. The other end of the hose is attached to any water faucet 19 that is readily available. In operation, to clean a water drain pipe line of refuse which is clogging the same, as, for example, sink line 20 illustrated in 3,109,178 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 ICC FIG. 4 the operator merely inserts the stopper plunger into the mouth 21 of the drain line where the line is likely to be clogged and then turns on the faucet to admit water into the hose. The sudden increase in pressure within the compartment 16 will distend the bottom wall of the plunger in the manner of a diaphragm, and applying pressure with great force against the refuse. At the sameV time pressure is applied sideways and thus expanding the side wall 12 to assure a tight contact between the device and the interior wall 21 of the pipe, thus pressure developed under the stopper plunger is retained within the pipe and cannot escape upwardly and outwardly. After the stopper plunger has been initially expanded by turning on the faucet the refuse in the line will be forced to move ahead toward the sewer. The faucet is then shut ofi and the hose disconnected from the faucet, following which the stopper plunger is removed from the mouth of the drain line to admit air into it after which the stopper plunger is again replaced into the mouth of the drain line and the operation is repeated. After several operations, the refuse ywill have been forced sufficiently ahead into the sewer to clear the line. After the line has been cleared of debris the device may be unscrewed from the faucet after which the stopper plunger may be removed from the drain line mouth and put away.

Thus, it has been shown a `stopper plunger which lits within the clogged drain line for greater efficiency in dislodging refuse by applying pressure in the rear thereof.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit `and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters latent of the United States is:

In a stopper plunger the combination of a hollow vessel made of resilient material lhaving a flat bottom wall, the periphery of which is circular and having the lower edge of an upstanding circular side wall connected to said periphery, the said side wall being upwardly diverging in a manner of an inverted fmistum of a cone for purpose of adaptation to drain pipes of varied diameter and said side wall terminating at its upper edge in a constricted cylindrical neck portion -which is threaded on its outer side and entry opening extending through the said neck portion which communicates with the hollow central portion of the stopper plunger, said bottom wall being made of relatively thin cross section and the said circular side wall having a thin cross section at its lower portion adjacent said bottom wall, the cross section of the side wall being gradually enlarged in cross sectional thickness toward its upper portion, the neck portion being of relatively thick cross section and the lower portion of said plunger being thus outwardly expandable upon interior pressure for secure and tight fit when placed within a drain line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,636 Pike June 17, 1884 1,180,182 Petersen Apr. 18, 1916 2,011,525 Parsley Aug. 13, 1935 

